FIFA is concerned that players at the World Cup could use undetectable stimulants derived from traditional African medicines that aren’t currently banned substances. Fifa medical committee chairperson Michel D’Hooghe yesterday said he wanted the World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) to analyse some African plants that could give athletes an unfair advantage. “I have a big concern […]
Work the Cup to the fullest
South Africans are likely to be drunk and disorderly during the World Cup – and employers are warned to prepare themselves for it. The Commission for Conciliation, Mediation and Arbitration said it had set up special units in all major host cities to arbitrate because there was an expectation that industrial action and cases between […]
Varsities' World Cup windfall
The universities have been accredited as one-star backpacking facilities for the duration of the cup. Johannesburg University spokesman Herman Esterhuizen said his institution had made a “substantial upfront investment” in upgrading its residences. “All the residences were renovated in the three years leading up to the event to comply with the standards set by the […]
Ticket prices reduced
South African football fans can start applying for World Cup tickets at reduced prices immediately. Ich Mkhondo, chief communications officer for the organising committee would not reveal how many “re-categorised” R140 Category1 tickets , which are reserved for South Africans only, were available. He said only that the tickets now formed part of the 400,000 […]
Sudan signs accord with Darfur rebels
Sudan and Darfur’s most powerful rebel group will tomorrow ratify an agreement reached after an easing of tension between Sudan and Chad. The rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) said on Saturday that the framework agreement reached in the Chadian capital N’Djamena last week was not a final peace deal but set out the terms […]
Nigeria: Junta urged to make way for vote in Niger
Niger’s new military junta had not announced plans for an election by yesterday and had not said how long it would hold power after a coup that ousted the uranium-rich west African country’s dictatorial president. After Thursday’s coup, the junta immediately suspended the country’s constitution. The coup was staged to unseat Mamadou Tandja, who had […]
Zimbabwe: President Mugabe defends new law
President Robert Mugabe has defended a law requiring Zimbabwean businesses to be controlled by blacks, underlining differences with his governing partners. Prime Minister Morgan Tsvangirai’s Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has said the law was unworkable and would discourage investment. The law, passed by parliament when it was still dominated by Mugabe’s legislators in 2008, […]
UN to focus on Africa’s slow progress on millennium goals
The United Nations (UN) and its agencies would use the 2010 World Cup to highlight Africa’s slow progress towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals of halving poverty by 2015, a senior UN official has said. The UN was concerned that sub-Saharan countries were significantly behind schedule in realising some of the key development goals agreed […]
US nuclear envoy visits South Africa
US President Barack Obama has sent a special nuclear envoy to South Africa to seek Pretoria’s support for more nuclear disarmament, non-proliferation and provision of peaceful nuclear energy to developing countries. These are the three pillars of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which is to be reviewed at a conference at the UN in New […]
S.Africa: Nkoana-Mashabane about to visit to China
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Maite Nkoana-Mashabane will pay an official visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC) to hold discussions with her counterpart, Mr. Yang Jiechi, Minister of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China, from 25-26 February 2010. The visit takes place within the context of the Strategic Partnership Dialogue between […]